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New Indian Express
6 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
102 high schools get upgraded to higher secondary level in Odisha
BHUBANESWAR: As many as 102 high schools in the state under the School and Mass Education department have been upgraded to higher secondary schools. School and Mass Education minister Nityananda Gond on Wednesday informed that these schools will start functioning from the new 2025-26 academic session. Upgradation of the schools to higher secondary level has been recently approved by the Ministry of Education's Project Approval Board (PAB) for Samagra Siksha for the 2025-26 academic session. Of these schools, 28 will be offering science streams and six commerce. The rest of the higher secondary schools will have arts stream. Gond said this will help a large number of students who had to travel longer distances to pursue higher secondary education. 'Such children who did not have the scope to pursue Plus II within their areas, can now do so in their local school. Most of these upgraded schools are in rural pockets of the state. This way, the children will receive quality education under the government's comprehensive education system,' he added. During the last session, 74 high schools in the state had been upgraded as higher secondary schools by the PAB.
New Indian Express
18-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Odisha schools told to step up safety measures for girls, promote gender equity
BHUBANESWAR: The School and Mass Education department on Thursday asked all schools to ensure compliance with The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, and promote positive gender attitude among children and teachers. Commissioner-cum-secretary of School and Mass Education department Shalini Pandit directed all district education officers to review implementation of the Act in schools, along with timely constitution and re-constitution of the internal complaints committee in all the eligible schools (employing 10 or more persons). Stating that it is also imperative that a safe environment is created in schools for physical, mental and socio-emotional well-being of all students, especially girls, Pandit has also asked schools to strictly integrate BARNALI (gender equity programme) curriculum in schools. BARNALI curriculum is intended to promote positive gender attitude and behaviour in students, teachers and parents and eliminate gender-based violence. Pandit directed all elementary and secondary schools to strictly follow the BARNALI curriculum and integrate it with the social studies curriculum. Further, the department had mandated all schools to display the women helpline (181), child helpline (1098), police helpline (112) and school student helpline (18003456722) at prominent places in campuses, residential hostels and workplaces.
The Hindu
17-07-2025
- The Hindu
Ensure safe environment for women employees, girl students in all schools: Odisha Government to DEOs
In the wake of the nationwide outrage over the death of a student at a college in Balasore, the Odisha Government on Thursday (July 17, 2025) asked all District Education Officers (DEOs) to ensure a safe environment for women employees and students, particularly girls in schools. In a letter to all the DEOs, School and Mass Education Secretary Shalini Pandit asked them to implement relevant provisions under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. 'You are instructed to review the implementation of the above, along with timely constitution and re-constitution of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in all eligible establishments and further ensure that all provisions of the Act are followed in letter and spirit at all workplaces under your jurisdiction,' she said. The secretary also told the DEOs to create a safe environment in schools for students for their physical, mental and socio-emotional well-being. The officers were further instructed to implement Barnali, a gender equity programme, to promote positive gender attitudes and behaviours among students, teachers and parents and to eliminate gender-based violence in all elementary and secondary schools of the state in integration with the social studies curriculum. Besides, the DEOs were asked to display helpline numbers (women helpline-181, child helpline-1098, police helpline-1 12, school student helpline-18003456722) at prominent places in all workplaces, schools and residential hostels. Asking the officers to strictly follow the instructions, Ms. Pandit warned, 'Any deviation from this will be viewed seriously.' A second-year BEd student of a college in Balasore died at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar on Monday (July 14, 2025) night. She had set herself on fire on the college campus on Saturday (July 12, 2025) over inaction against a professor who allegedly sexually harassed her.
New Indian Express
10-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Odisha govt to introduce annual exams for Class V, VIII; scrap no detention rule
BHUBANESWAR : Students of Class V and VIII will now have to appear annual exams for promotion to the next grade at the end of the academic year. The School and Mass Education department on Wednesday informed that the state government has decided to implement significant changes to the Odisha Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2010 through the Odisha Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Rules, 2025. Under this amendment, students of Class V and VIII will have to appear for annual examination and if they fail to secure marks to meet the promotion criteria, they will be provided two months of extra teaching by their teachers. The students will have to reappear for the examination and if they do not pass, they will not be promoted. The new rule applies to both government and private schools and will be implemented from the 2025-26 academic session, commissioner-cum-secretary of the department Shalini Pandit said. The amendment, however, makes it clear that no child shall be expelled from school until the completion of elementary education. With foundational learning being given top priority, the move aims at ensuring that the learning levels are reached before students are promoted. The amendment aligns with the National Education Policy-2020 which emphasises the need for continuous assessment and formative evaluation of students to improve learning outcomes. These amendments are in line with Section 38 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, and will come into effect upon their publication in the Odisha Gazette, the department informed. Detaining students in a class based on their annual examination performance was stopped in the state after the Right to Education (RTE) Act was passed in 2009. Section 16 of the RTE Act stipulated that 'no child admitted in a school shall be held back in any class or expelled from school till the completion of elementary education (Classes 1 to 8)'. However, in December last year, the Ministry of Education did away with the 'no detention' policy for students of classes V and VII, allowing schools to fail students who are unable to clear class promotion examinations. States like Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Delhi have already implemented the change. CHANGES Students of Class V and VIII will appear for annual examination If they fail to secure marks to meet the promotion criteria, they will be provided two months of extra teaching by their teachers The students will have to reappear for the examination and if they do not meet the promotion criteria even after re-examination, they will be held back in the same class During this period, class teacher will provide guidance to the child and his/her parents, focusing on addressing learning gaps identified through assessments
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Odisha introduces academic accountability in schools through examinations
The Odisha government has proposed an amendment to the existing class promotion policy, allowing students in Class V and Class VIII an additional opportunity to clear their examinations for promotion. Those who fail to do so will be required to repeat the same class. Introducing amendment to ensure academic accountability in schools, the government has proposed significant changes to the Odisha Right of Children to free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2010 through the Odisha Right of Children to free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Rules, 2025. According to government, a structured examination system will be introduced for Class V and Class VIII students at the end of every academic year in order to ensure that foundational learning levels are achieved before students are promoted. 'All students of Class V and Class VIII will now have to appear for annual examinations. If a child fails in these examinations, he or she will be provided additional instruction and an opportunity for re-examination within two months of result declaration,' says School and Mass Education department in a statement. 'Students who fail to meet the required promotion criteria even after re-examination may be held back in the same class,' it says. Under the existing class promotion policy, every student will automatically move to next class irrespective of their performance in examinations. The State government has made it clear that no child will be expelled from school until the completion of elementary education. 'These amendments are in line with Section 38 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, and will come into effect upon their publication in the Odisha Gazette. The changes reflect the State's commitment to raising academic standards while ensuring no child is denied the right to education,' the statement mentions.
